The Avengers: Clint & Tasha
by kimboik
Summary: This takes place during the movie, and a little while after. It also goes into the relationship between Clint and Tasha in the eyes of some of the S.H.E.I.L.D. agents and the Avengers. This story fills in some of the holes that were in the movie. On Hiatus.
1. The Tesseract

Agent Clint Barton did not want to be at the research facility with the Tesseract. One of the reasons why was because he wanted to be with Natasha who was now in Russia. God how he missed that red head, but now he had to babysit scientists to make sure that nothing happens.

At the beginning he was down on the floor with the good Dr. Erik Selvig, but for some reason the doctor made him very uncomfortable. Selvig made Barton feel like a freak with the odd stares when he thought the Agent wasn't looking. Barton did the only thing he could do at the time, and that was to escape to the platforms and rafters high above so he could see everything without actually having to be down there. Then all hell seemed to literally break loose when Director Fury came in. After Dr. Selvig told Fury what was going on he heard the Director over his communicator.

"Agent Barton. Report."

Irritated, Clint moved quickly and swiftly to the ground to Fury.

"I gave you this detail so you can keep an eye on things," said an irritated Director Fury.

"Oh I see better from a distance," Clint said confidently while thinking, _Duh! You call me Hawkeye for a reason. _

"Have you seen anything that might set this thing off," spoke the director.

Then one of the scientists spoke up about an issue of the Tesseract spiking for the millionth time. Clint could not wait to leave.

"No one's come and gone. Selvig's clean. No contacts no IM's if there's any tampering sir they're not on this end," spoke Clint with a look at Selvig.

"At this end?" asked Fury confused.

"Yeah the cube is a doorway to the other end of space right? Doors open from both sides."

After that all hell broke loose. The ground started to shake, and then a bright light shot from the cube to the other side of the room creating what looked like a portal that enveloped the room. Clint saw that a man was there at the place where the light shot out at after the light faded away. _What the fuck?_ Was the only thing running through Clint's mind.

The man had black hair and was holding some kind of staff or scepter. Fury asked him to put it down, but instead the man used it to through a bright light at one of the agents knocking him down to the ground. He then tried to hit the director, but Clint pushed himself and the director down before it hit. The man then lunged towards the men who had begun shooting at him. The other agents joined in the fight, and Clint was one of them.

The man then came over to Clint as he was getting up. Grabbing Clint's wrist so he couldn't shoot the gun.

"You have heart," was the only thing the man said before putting the point of the scepter to Clint's heart, and a light come out of the scepter.

Clint felt like he couldn't breathe. It felt like to souls were trying to inhabit his body. When he looked at the man he automatically knew who he was. The man was Loki, the brother of Thor. Loki came to Earth to save it, at least that is what he was told in his mind. When he realized his new boss was chatting up Fury, Clint spoke.

"Sir. Director Fury is trying to stall. The building will collapse and bury us if we do not hurry."

Selvig spoke up and told Loki it was true, and it was then that Clint realized that the boss got him also. After getting the Tesseract from Fury and handing it to Selvig they left with the others that Loki got to join them. Clint was worried that they wouldn't be able to get past Agent Maria Hill outside, but she trusted Clint was speaking the truth about needing to transport the strange man. Unfortunately Fury spoke telling everyone to stop him from leaving. Then the shooting began.

Now Clint answered all of Loki's questions after getting somewhere safe, and setting up shop. He told his boss everything he knew about S.H.E.I.L.D. and his ties to Agent Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow. When asked about how he felt about her, Clint said that he loved her. After that it seemed like Clint's soul went to sleep, and the new thing that occupied his body took over.

The next thing Clint knew he was kneeling in front of Natasha. "Tasha," Clint pleaded. Then he fell into blackness praying that Loki would now come back to take over him again. He was so sad after seeing the panicked look in Tasha's eyes, or 'my Tasha' as he called her when they were alone. It felt so nice to finally sleep, and rest both is mind and soul.


	2. The Search

**This takes place after Clint leaves with Loki. Agent Phil Coulson is doing everything to locate him.**

POV: Agent Phil Coulson

"We need to find Agent Barton NOW!" I yelled at the top of my lungs to make sure that everyone heard me. Agent Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, has been compromised. I have been in charge of Hawkeye since he came to S.H.E.I.L.D.

Agent Coulson could not help but think about the day that he was told that he would be retrieving Barton.

**Flashback:**

"Are you serious Director Fury?" I asked praying that he was kidding.

"Yes Agent Coulson, I am. Clint Barton has assassinated more people than some of our best assassins put together. Not to mention he has a very peculiar skill set that most would actually kill for," stated Director Fury with a sly smile.

"Seriously, who uses arrows anymore? By the way, wouldn't people have noticed a guy hanging around with a bow and arrow strapped to him?" I asked Fury questioningly.

"Barton sticks to the shadows, and blends into crowds. His target never sees him or hears him. It is also proven that he never misses his target, and never leaves behind witnesses. It is also said that he can see from extreme distances. All in all he is extremely dangerous," Fury stated warningly.

Then Fury told him what this was all about. "I want you to retrieve Barton, and I want him to work here. If he refuses, kill him. Be very careful though because if he is on to you beforehand, he will not hesitate to kill you."

After being dismissed I read up on the file the Director gave me. Clint Barton was twenty-one years of age and an even six feet tall. The picture in the file was taken when he was a child. Barton was good at not leaving a paper trail of any kind. What little information there was were from other assassins, but they were all rumors and legends.

It is said that when he was young his parents were killed leaving behind a seven year old boy with blondish brown hair and gray eyes. Some say that after that a group of traveling circus performers found him, and that there he was trained to be an archer. Others say that he lived in the woods and taught himself how to shoot after making his own bow and arrow. The only thing certain is that Clint Barton has not existed for about fourteen years. It was thought by the police that he perished with his parents or at least shortly after, and buried somewhere else. That was until now.

Clint Barton was a ghost, and now I have to find him. "Where are the Ghostbusters when you need them," I mumbled to myself. Now all I have to do is go to where he was last spotted, which was none other than the outskirts of Berlin, Germany. After packing, I went to my handler to get my communication gear together along with my weapons. Then I left.

_2 weeks later_

POV-Clint Barton

The target was Luka Richter who stole from a very prominent politician in Berlin, Germany. What did he steal? He kidnapped and tortured the politician's daughter. The police captured him, but the only evidence was the girl's testimony. The day before Emma Fischer was supposed to testify, her father found her in the bathtub. Emma left a note saying that even if Richter was behind bars, the nightmares would never stop and that he would never leave her alone. Two days later Emma Fischer was buried at the age of fifteen.

I was hired to kill Luka Richter as slow as possible. With my eye on the target, I pulled back the arrow and shot the target in the left leg. Then heard Richter's screams, but tuned them out in order to shoot again. The second shot was to his right arm, and more screams followed. Next was a shot to the stomach. Making sure the area was clear I went to the target, and proceeded to speak.

"That was for Emma Fischer you piece of scum. They make a special place in hell for people like you."

"What? She deserved every minute of what I did to her and then some!' Richter screamed

"I beat she was like you now. Crying, wanting the suffering to end. I will kill you when I want to. Emma was fifteen, and she did not deserve what you did to her."

I then proceeded to take a knife and cut Richter's left wrist knowing that he will be in more pain. I then went to Luka's left leg and pulled out the arrow. Then went and did the same to his right arm. Then got up, stepped back about ten feet, pulled back his bow , and spoke loud enough for Luka Richter to hear.

"Dies ist das ende Luka Richter. vielleicht wissen die Emma in Frieden zu leben."

(Translation: This is the end Luka Richter. Maybe know Emma will be at peace.)

After that I let go, and hit my mark right in the heart. After giving myself a minute to breathe, I went to retrieve the arrow along with anything else I didn't want to leave behind. Then I went to the hiding spot from before, collapsed the bow, and put everything in the backpack I brought. Then proceeded to change into my tourist gear, and completed the look with sunglasses. When walking away I felt like someone was watching me.

I went to where he was staying, and went up on the roof of the building. I had to pay extra in order to do so, but it was worth it. There I reflected on what I had done and cried. I could not stop thinking what would my parents say if they were alive. Taking a picture out of the bag beside me, I just stared at it. The picture was of a family of three. The man was tall, had brown hair, steel gray eyes, and a crooked smile. The woman beside him was a few inches shorter, had long wavy blonde hair, gray eyes, and a beautiful smile. She looked like an angel. The little boy looked about seven years old. He had light brown hair that was cut like his fathers, warm steel gray eyes, and the crooked smile that his father had. The child was the perfect combination of the parents. The family looked so happy.

What the family did not know was that three hours after this picture was taken. When the family arrived home the father had a feeling something was wrong. He turned to her wife and told her to stay in the car with the boy. Ten minutes later the women locked the doors to the car after telling her son to hide under a blanket they kept in the car. Minutes passed until the boy heard the screams. He opened the car door, and ran inside calling for his missing parents.

"Mommy, where are you?" He called out. Then he saw her in the doorway to the kitchen. He ran to her wondering why his mommy was so pale, and covered with read stuff. The mother's eyes where open, and tears were running down her face. She was faintly breathing. She put her hand on his cheek, and spoke.

"Sweetheart, you need to run and hide. Remember that I love you." After this her eyes closed.

"Mommy, wake up please," the little boy started to cry. A moment later he heard a bang in the other room. He shot up and ran for the front door, but before he could reach it was caught. The man from behind him grabbed his arm, and twisted it causing the child to shriek in pain. To keep the child quiet, the man took him out back, and continued to beat the child. The man let go when the screaming stopped, and the child crumpled to the floor. From behind him came another scream.

The guy turned around to find his wife crying. "You were supposed to keep him alive," she cried. The plan was to kidnap the child, but his anger got the best of him. After a few minutes he put the boy over his shoulder, and found a shovel. The man walked into the woods in back of the house. The man and woman left after the boy was in the grave when they heard sirens. Little did they know was that the boy was still alive. The police never found the boy, thinking that the couple took him.

It was raining when he woke up. The man that hit him just knocked him unconscious, and he was lucky that the couple ran off. After a few minutes, the boy created handles and footholds to climb out. He was also luck that his pockets weren't checked. Reaching in the boy took out the pocketknife his daddy gave him for his birthday. After picking up some branches, he climbed up in a tree like his daddy taught him when they went survival camping the previous summer.

In that tree the boy realized that the boy in the photograph died when he was put in the grave. He then emerged as another person. This person had no family, he had no past, worse of all he had no home. In the tree the little boy made his own bow and arrows. That was the day Conrad, Celeste, and their happy little boy Clint Barton died. The Clint Barton in the tree was now a boy filled with revenge.

Fourteen years later I am still having nightmares. The crunch of gravel made me turn around with my arrow pointed straight at the heart of the man that had been following him for the past week. The man reminded him of his father, and they also had the same eyes. The man had a gun pointed at Clint. "Put the gun down or I will shoot you. Believe me, I will not hesitate to do so."

The man placed the gun on the ground slowly, and stood with his hands in the air. "My name is Agent Phil Coulson, and I have a proposition for you Clint."

_To be continued…._


	3. The Archer

_**Previously:**_

_**The man placed the gun on the ground slowly, and stood with his hands in the air. "My name is Agent Phil Coulson, and I have a proposition for you Clint."**_

Chapter 3

Coulson finally fount Clint Barton about a week after arriving in Berlin, Germany, but did not approach. He wanted to observe the so-called "deadly assassin". He kept his distance though so the man would not figure it out. The first thing he noticed was that the man that Barton was keeping an eye on was Luka Richter. Richter was charged in the kidnap and torture of Emma Fischer who was the daughter of a politician in Berlin. The day before Emma was supposed to give her testimony, she was found dead in the bathtub.

After her death, which is believed to have been suicide, Richter was let out due to lack of evidence. Emma's testimony was supposed to be enough to put him behind bars for life. Mr. Fischer blamed him for his daughter's death saying that she killed herself because she wanted to be free of Richter and the nightmare's he brought.

At first Agent Coulson thought Barton was protecting him, but he saw his posture when staring. Clint Barton wanted this man to die. His body was rigged, and his fists were clenched while he was observing Richter. About three days after this Coulson tried to go into Barton's hotel room. When he finally made it in, he discovered it empty. The bed, television, and windows were left untouched. The bathroom was the only thing used. "Where on earth does he sleep?" the agent asked out loud.

The next day Coulson followed Mr. Richter because he lost Clint. Near the end of the day, he ended up near an abandoned building in the outskirts of Berlin. The agent kept his distance, and decided to rest a minute. The second his eyes closed he heard it. _FLOOMP! _His eyes popped open, and that is when he saw the arrow sticking out of Luka's left leg. Coulson looked in the distance, and saw nothing. He then heard the sound again, and returned his attention back to the man. An arrow was sticking out of his right arm. Throughout this Luka was screaming for the pain to stop and for someone to help him.

A minute later he saw a man approach the victim. The man was six feet tall and had light brown hair. The stranger was wearing all black, had arm protective gear on, and was carrying something on his other side that he could not see. The man was speaking to Luka.

"That was for Emma Fischer you piece of scum. They make a special place in hell for people like you."

"What? She deserved every minute of what I did to her and then some!' Richter screamed

"I beat she was like you now. Crying, wanting the suffering to end. I will kill you when I want to. Emma was fifteen, and she did not deserve what you did to her."

The stranger then took a knife out and cut Richter's left wrist. He then proceeded to take yank all of the arrows out. Then he stepped back about ten feet, and lifted a bow and arrow. Barton then spoke to the man in a low deadly voice, "This is the end Luka Richter. Maybe know Emma will be at peace," in flawless German. The man then let go of the arrow, and walked towards the man before the arrow even pierced his heart. He then collected all evidence that would even show that he was there. A minute later he was gone.

The next time he Coulson saw his target was in different clothes, was wearing sunglasses, and carrying a back pack. The stranger walked into the hotel, but did not go to his room. Coulson discovered from workers that his target paid extra for roof access. When he got to the door, he heard sobs. The agent slowly opened the door, and moved as quietly as he could. He was sitting near the edge looking at something, and the quickly turned around with an arrow pointed directly at the agent's heart. All the while the agent had a gun pointed directly at the target.

"Put the gun down or I will shoot you. Believe me, I will not hesitate to do so," the target said in a deadly tone. Coulson placed the gun slowly on the ground, and rose with his hands in the air. The agent then spoke in a gentle tone, "My name is Agent Phil Coulson, and I have a proposition for you Clint."

Agent Coulson could see the man tense. "Who do you work for," the archer asked still holding the arrow trained on the agent. "Come with me and I will explain."

Clint walked closer to him. "Why should I trust the person who bugged my room?" he explained with a raised eyebrow. "See, that is one of the reasons why we want you. You probably want to relieve your conscience a bit, and this will help. The agency I work for helps people instead of hurting them," the agent spoke.

After about an hour of silence Clint made the decision to with him. "My job here is done, and I have nothing else to do at the moment," he explained to the agent. On the plane Coulson found Clint staring at a picture. Barton looked into the man's eyes and trusted him automatically. He then explained to the agent about what happened when he was little.

"This is a picture of my family. A few hours after this picture was taken, my life changed. Upon arriving home, my father Conrad Barton had a weird feeling. When I was little I realized that every time my dad got these feelings something bad happened. One day, at the age of five, I was taking a bath. While playing submarine, I hit my head on the faucet when coming up for air," he smiled at the memory. "I passed out. When I came to, I was at the hospital. My parents where in the kitchen making supper while I was in the tub. It turned out that my dad came to check on me because he had a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He later said it felt like someone shot him with an arrow in the gut.

"Anyway, he came up to check on me, and then opened the door just in time to see me slide into the water. They said if he did not come up there at that time, I would have been dead," he finished by pinching the bridge of his nose. Barton then put his sunglasses back on.

"Alright, back to where I was. He had that feeling in his stomach, and told my mom to stay in the car with me. The last time I saw him he turned to smile and wave at us before going into the house. About ten minutes after going in my mother covered me up with a blanket, told me not to move, locked the doors to the car, and then went in," Clint let out a deep breath, and paused for a few minutes.

"Did you see her again?" the curious agent asked.

"Yes I did, but it was horrible. While waiting under the blanket I heard her scream. Wanting to protect her, I got out of the car, went up to the house, and slipped inside through the shadows. Worried I called out for her, 'Mommy where are you?' I called even though I knew I should have been quiet. Then I saw her in the doorway to the kitchen. I remember running up to her wondering why she was so pale, and why she was covered in red stuff and crying. Then she spoke. She told me to run and hide. A few seconds later she died.

"Not knowing what happened, I asked her to wake up. Then there was a loud bang in the other room. I did what my mother asked and ran, but was caught before I got to the door. A man was behind me, and grabbed my arm. He twisted it around causing pain so bad I started shrieking. Trying to keep me quiet, the man beat me. He thought I was dead, and he proceeded to bury me in the woods behind the house. Before he could cover me with dirt, he ran. The rain woke me up, and I did not know how long I was out.

"I dug holes into the side of the grave to create places for my hands and feet. Then I grabbed branches, and climbed up a tree. When I got up there I searched my pockets praying that they didn't go through them. There I found a pocket knife. Within a day I had a makeshift bow and some arrows. For the bow string I used the elastic in my boxers, and then held my boxers up with my one shoelace, and used the other shoe to hold the arrows. With that one I hooked the shoelace through two holes, and then tied it around me.

"The day I got out of the grave was the day the life I have now begun. I raised myself, stole things I could not catch, and then one day someone discovered me in the woods somewhere in Alabama. I was practicing that day trying to get used to my new bow. I was resting in a tree when I heard a twig snap. I shot up with my bow ready, and shot it. A few seconds later I heard someone cussing. I jumped down from the tree and asked him what he was doing there. He started reaching for something in his pocket, and when he looked back up I already had an arrow pointed at his head. And, as some say, the rest is history."

"Who killed your parents?" the Coulson asked.

"A couple named Tom and Leah Blackwell. Earlier that year their son was killed in a hit and run. They thought that I looked like him, and they wanted me. We were the same age. The couple was never caught by police," Barton said.

"What happened to them? Did you…," the agent asked hesitantly.

"I didn't kill them if you are asking. When I found them, Tom was dead. I found out through contacts that Leah had Alzheimer's. I went to where she was staying to see her. She thought I was her dead child. I asked her what happened that night, and she told me. I felt so horrible for her that I did what my parents would have wanted me to do. I stayed with her until she passed, and then left before anyone saw me."

"How did you stay alive out there for so long?" asked the agent.

"My dad and me did survivalist training since I was four. He also taught me a little archery before he died. After the police left the house, I snuck in and stole weapons. Some of which included a bow and arrow. I hid those somewhere once I became an assassin because I did not want to get rid of my dad's things."

After that, Clint Barton turned away from the other man indicating that the conversation was over. What he did not realize was that the archer was silently crying, and that that was the reason why he was still wearing the sunglasses. It wasn't until a few years later that Clint told Coulson the reason why he trusted the agent immediately. After that neither spoke of that conversation, but from then on out, Agent Phil Coulson was the father Clint wished he had.

_**To Be Continued….**_


	4. The Retrieval Part 1

When arriving at the agency Clint was given the ground rules, and then he did the testing. He used his collapsible bow, but before asked a question that confused Coulson and Director Fury.

"Do you want me to simply hit the targets, or use a different tip for each?" the assassin asked.

"Are you serious? What do you mean?" questioned Fury.

"I will show you. The first round will be all the same, and then I will show you about the blowing up one when I am done," Clint said in a snide tone.

Barton proceeded to breath. When the buzzer sounded, Clint repeatedly shot the bow and arrow as effortless as someone would act using a gun. Not even twenty seconds later, Clint yelled done. He had hit the six targets right in the middle. It was the same spot every time. A bull's-eye. Neither the agent of the director saw the man move. Barton was standing in the same spot.

"Now I am going to show you the other arrow I was talking about," the assassin explained to the dumbfounded pair.

Clint pressed a button on his bow. The button shifted arrow tips around the bottom of the quiver, and then the tip connected to the arrow shaft. When the arrow moved up a little in the quiver Clint took it out and set it up to shoot. All he did was move his arms, and then shot. It was a perfect bulls-eye again. Then the archer pressed another button, and the target blew up.

Clint gave the two men a few minutes to comprehend what just happened. After that Clint told them about the different tips and uses. "I have drawings of others that I wanted to have made, but I was brought here before I could do so. One that I designed emits a gas that knocks people out for a while, another is a grappling arrow, and last but not least one that electrocutes people," Clint stated proudly.

A while after, Coulson became Barton's handler. That day he became S.H.E.I.L.D. Agent Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye.

**End of Flashback**

Agent Phil Coulson brought up both Agent Barton and Agent Romanoff's files. On there was a video that he started to play. The video was of a mission that Barton and Romanoff did together. It happened to be one of the recent ones. After finding the number he needed, he got up and dialed it into a cell. The person on the other end grunted a greeting.

"Let me talk to the person in charge," Coulson spoke.

After a minute another greeting was said. "Let me talk to the girl. You should know that there are snipers prepared to bring the building down, and you will not even make it to the lobby. Now let me talk to the girl," the agent said in a deadly town.

A minute later Romanoff was on the other end. "Hello?" she asked hesitantly.

"Agent Romanoff" Coulson started.

"I am in the middle of an interrogation, and this guy is about to give me everything," Romanoff explained.

"Natasha, Clint's been compromised," whispered Coulson.

"Let me put you on hold," Natasha said. After that all he could hear were grunts. He couldn't help but smile. Natasha was like a daughter to him, and he acted like a proud papa. When she came back on, he told her the plan. She would go after Bruce Banner, and I would get Tony Stark. Director Fury was in charge of handling Steve Rodgers. After hanging up Coulson prayed that Clint could be saved. If he can, Natasha would be the one to do it.

Even though Clint and Natasha did not think people noticed the way they looked at one another, but he knew. He spent enough time watching and listening to them banter back and forth. Coulson just hoped that the love that the partners shared would save Clint from the demigod's control.

_**In Russia **_

Agent Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, was still thinking about what Agent Coulson said about her partner. On the way to retrieve Bruce Banner, she could not help but remember how the archer came into her life.


	5. The Retrieval Part 2

_**Agent Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, was still thinking about what Agent Coulson said about her partner. On the way to retrieve Bruce Banner, she could not help but remember how the archer came into her life. **_

_**Flashback**_

Agent Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, has been in S.H.E.I.L.D. for about five years when he got the mission that would inevitably change his life. His mission was to kill a Russian assassin, Natasha Romanoff. She is commonly known as the Black Widow. She was essentially a ghost like Clint was when he still freelanced, and she is now in Russia.

About a month after he left for his mission, Hawkeye finally was able to make his move. While watching Romanoff, he realized that they were similar. Both were essentially alone in the world, and could only rely on themselves for support. He also noticed that she moved like a dancer when she fought. One night while walking in the park, she was approached by ten men.

"Hey red! Want some lovin' tonight," one burly guy taunted her in Russian.

"Are you offering?" she asked with a grin. Clint, who was watching from a nearby tree, was the only one to see the look in her eyes. He could tell that she was already calculating how she would take each one down. As the burly guy approached her, she sprung into action. First she grabbed him by the collar, and then spun him around taking out three other guys. Then she did a spin kick to knock the others out. After a minute she slunk further down the walkway like a cat. Romanoff moved so fluidly. This was the first time Hawkeye knew he would be in trouble. The second time was the night he went to kill her. Before taking the first shot he saw her tears.

When Natasha was done with her job, she went home to take a shower. She felt so dirty after the killing, and could not stop thinking about the man's family. In her mind she added another name to her ledger. She started keeping track after the first time she killed, and with every name came more sadness. Afterwards she went for a walk in the park.

Natasha loved to walk at night because no one would be around to see her tears. About five minutes into the walk she sat down on a bench so she could try to calm herself down. Thinking she was alone, Romanoff broke down in tears. "Why do I do this?" she asked out loud through her tears. What she was not expecting was an answer. "Because you know of nothing else," said a gentle male voice. Within a second, Natasha shot up with her gun raised ready to fire.

"Who's there? Come out know and face me," she spoke in a deadly tone.

She heard a noise behind her. Then she spun and fired without thinking. There was nothing there except for a scared rabbit running away. Natasha lowered her gun and turned. Doing so she came face to face with a man, or rather face to arrow tip. The man had light brown hair, and had warm gray eyes. Then she started processing ways that she would be able to take him down.

"Don't even think about it Natasha Romanoff," he said in an even tone.

Of course she did not listen. Before he knew what was happening, she crouched, and swiped his legs out from under him. He retaliated by taking his bow, and slamming it into her back. Within a second she flipped around facing him, but he immediately sat on her torso. With the position she was in, her arms were trapped at her side between the man's knees. An arrow was pointed at her head. The man was getting ready to shoot, but started to talk instead.

"I should tell you what's going on before I do anything. You know…cover all my bases. Alright my name is Agent Clint Barton, and I work for an agency called S.H.E.I.L.D. I was originally sent to kill you," he passed before grinning. Natasha noticed that he had a crooked smile.

"Are you not going to kill me," she asked confused.

"Well…that is up to you. I have a few questions first, and trust me I will know if you are lying," he spoke clearly.

"Question one. Do you feel more comfortable talking in Russian," Barton asked. When she nodded he continued speaking in flawless Russian. "Alright then, second question. Do you want to get rid of all the red in your ledger?" he asked.

When asked this her eyes widened. How _could he have known that she kept a ledger? _ She thought to herself. Hesitantly, she nodded again.

"Alright. I have been watching you for a while now, and I want to make you an offer even though my neck is on the line," after this he winced. Then bellowed, "Shut up Coulson or you will wake up sometime without your Captain America trading cards!" Noticing Natasha's confused look, he went on to explain.

"Sorry. Agent Coulson can be loud and obnoxious, but he is my handler so I cannot do him bodily harm. I can get to his stuff though," he said then he leaned in to whisper to her. "Between you and me, he seems to have a weird fascination with Captain America." A few seconds later he winced again. "Coulson! You better say by to those cards before you go to sleep for the night," he growled out.

"Sorry. Back to business. The offer is this: I will not shoot you in the head if you join S.H.E.I.L.D. Of course if you don't, I will have to kill you," he stated confidently.

"Why should I trust you? How do I know that I will not be killed once I get there?" she asked.

"I never go back on what I say. I will also make sure that no one kills you there. I will look after you, but know this. If you kill me, you will have at least a hundred agents hunting you down. If I were you I would take the offer," he said silently hoping she would just take the offer. He didn't know if he would have the power to kill her.

After what seemed like forever, she nodded. "I will take the offer, but know this. If one of you kill me, I will gladly haunt you for the rest of your pitiful lives," she warned in a sweet, yet deadly, voice.

Clint nodded, and then rose. Then he pulled back the arrow and bow string. Natasha closed her eyes, waiting for the pain. Instead she heard the arrow hit the ground by her ear, and opened her eyes. Then everything went black. Making sure she was asleep, Clint told Coulson he was ready to leave. After picking up all evidence that they were there, he gently picked up Natasha.

Upon arriving at the S.H.E.I.L.D. base in the United States, the fighting began. Clint refused to leave Natasha's side, so he ended up carrying her everywhere he went. This included the dreaded meeting with Director Fury. After taking his seat by Coulson, he turned to the other man. "Don't think I forgot about the Captain America cards," Barton said in a threatening tone.

Coulson looked into the other agent's eyes, and knew that he meant what he said. Then Barton went on, "You are so lucky that you did not damage my eardrum." Neither spoke until Director Fury entered the room. _They were in so much trouble_, both men thought. Clint opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by someone muttering curse words in Russian. All three men turned towards the sleeping woman, but then they got down to business.

"Agent Barton, if I remember right, the mission was to neutralize the Black Widow. Will you please enlighten me on why you did not complete it?" Fury asked.

Clint breathed in and out for a few minutes to calm himself down. "Okay. I gave Miss Romanoff a choice: I could either kill her, or I would let her survive as long as she joined S.H.E.I.L.D. She chose to join, and I kept my word to her. I still believe that I did the right thing, and no one is going to change my mind," he said with conviction.

"She is an assassin Barton! She kills people, both innocent and guilty!" Fury bellowed.

"Do you have selective memory or did you just forget that I was just like her when Coulson found me. The only difference between us is that I killed _way_ more people than she has. I saw her fight off ten attackers in less than two minutes, and I am telling you that those guys were huge compared to her. She didn't even use a gun. Romanoff wants an out, and we can give that to her," Clint said passionately.

"Director Fury, I agree with Agent Barton. From what I have been told, she is on the same level as him. Romanoff can be a huge asset to us, and we have an advantage when it comes to her," the agent paused before continuing, "No one would expect an assassin like her working with us."

Director Fury looked in deep thought. "Alright. Romanoff will stay, but she will be your partner Clint. You will do everything from eating together to sharing the same rooming quarters. This includes training. If she turns against us, your neck will be on the line. Agent Coulson, you will also be Miss Romanoff's handler. The same goes for you if she turns. Barton will explain the lay of the land including rules and repercussions. Do I make myself clear?" the Director asked at last.

"Yes sir," both men answered.

"Take her to the medical ward to get a check up, and get some sleep Barton," Fury ordered.

Clint immediately replied, "No sir. I promised her that I wouldn't let anything happen to her while here. If she is alone, someone here will more than likely kill her. I am taking her to our sleeping quarters." Then Clint went to pick her up, and left the room without an answer.

Coulson turned to his boss and flat out told him, "We are in some _serious _deep shit."

"I believe you are right Coulson. It will be interesting to watch thought," Fury stated before dismissing him.

**End Flashback**

It took a few hours to get Bruce Banner onto the plane to go to the Hellicarrier. Banner did not want to go at first, but thought he could use some good karma. He was also looking forward to meet Tony Stark, and see how his mind works. Bruce also wanted to see if Stark was as annoying in person as he appeared on the news.

Natasha kept her distance from him after getting into the air. She could not stop thinking about what would have happened to Clint if she was there instead of in Russia. He was the only on that knew her fears and true nature. He started to earn her trust when he didn't kill her. Barton saved her, so now she has to return the favor because she cannot help clear the red from her ledger alone. She hated to admit that the handsome archer kept her sane all these years.


End file.
